Book of the Week - The Healing Season of Pottery by Yeon Somin

Wonderfully reviewed by our very own Rikke (Trying to convince her to make a line of cups for the shop 😉)

“As an amateur potter, I was immediately drawn to The Healing Season of Pottery by Yeon Somin because of its title and cover. This quiet, beautifully written novel explores healing, self-discovery, and the transformative power of creating art.

The story follows Jungmin, a relatable protagonist—weary yet hopeful—seeking meaning beyond corporate burnout. Alongside her, a diverse cast of characters finds their way to the pottery workshop, each bringing their own personal struggles and stories that intertwine with Jungmin’s journey.

Through these interactions, the novel gently explores themes of self-discovery, love, forgiveness, and the quiet courage it takes to start over. The detailed descriptions of the pottery-making process serve as a powerful metaphor for Jungmin’s personal growth, illustrating how shaping clay mirrors the reshaping of her life.

Rather than a dramatic, action-packed plot, the story unfolds in a gentle, reflective manner—much like a slow afternoon spent working with clay. Yeon Somin beautifully captures both the challenges and joys of pottery, from moments of frustration to the deep satisfaction of creating something meaningful.

This book is perfect for anyone who appreciates stories about creativity, growth, and second chances.”

Happy Reading!

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Book of the Week - Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

We are lucky enough to have this wonderful review written by our friend Fufi, on the very day this long awaited new novel is published.
Thank you Fufi ❤️

”I had been waiting for this book impatiently, and it was worth every second. A story about four women whose lives intertwine isn’t new, but the way Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tells Chiamaka, Zikora, Kadiatou, and Omelogor’s stories is something else entirely.

There’s so much depth, kindness, and honesty in the way she writes. I didn’t always agree with the women, but I understood them. Their stories felt real, full of both beauty and pain, told with such generosity that I saw the best and worst of human nature in them. Nothing is overdone, yet the emotions hit hard.

There is a quiet power in how the novel unfolds, where even moments of brutality—both in love and hurt—are conveyed with an almost intimate subtlety. Reading this felt like sitting across from someone who was sharing the deepest truths of their life, raw and unembellished, yet never cliché. These women are flawed, their love is imperfect, their lives are at time messy, and that is precisely what makes them unforgettable.

I’m obviously a big admirer of Adichie, and this book pulled me in just like I had hoped. I don’t want to say more than what’s in the blurb, because I think this book is an encounter. You have to meet these women yourself with an open heart.”

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Book of the Week - There Lives a Young Girl in Me Who Will Not Die by Tove Ditlevsen

Reviewed by our very own Franca

Happy Reading!

“Tove Ditlevsen remains, to this day, one of Denmark’s most profound and impactful writers. Her raw and honest writing has moved generations of readers and will hopefully continue to do so for years to come.

As a young woman, I feel incredibly connected to her earlier works. Those where she writes about loneliness, love, loss, and those awkward little in between moments. She reminds me of how far we’ve come and how much work there still is to do. Her words make me feel seen, understood and much less lonely. Ditlevsen had a raw talent, a way with words, which is difficult to describe but easy to appreciate.

I am fortunate enough to be able to read her work in the language it was organically written in (danish) but these translations are equally as beautiful and should not be disregarded.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves Patti Smith or Joan Didion or simply has a love for poetry. What a wonderful writer Tove Ditlevsen was.”

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Book of the Week - Stolen Pride by Arlie Russell Hochschild

Reviewed by Pia Eisenhardt 🙏

“Hochschild is the grande dame of American sociology, and after Trump’s election in 2016, she trained her sights on his voters, writing one of the most nuanced, empathetic books on the subject, Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right, based on in-depth interviews with Trump voters in rural Louisiana. The metaphor used for the simmering populist anger is that of people who feel that they’ve been left behind, patiently waiting in line for their turn, only for other people (meaning, minorities) to jump the queue.

Last year saw the publication of Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right. Trump margins are consistently largest in rural areas, and Stolen Pride applies the same feature journalism style on Appalachian Kentucky, by any measure one of US’ poorest regions (a lot about the US makes more sense if you think of it as the world’s richest country with a third world country - measured by any UN development indices - embedded within it).

Economists tend to focus on the monetary economy, but there’s an overlooked and equally important ledger, namely that of pride (as in “dignity”) and humiliation. In a culture where individual success is lauded, the flip side is that lack of success is internalized as shame, and that dynamic is most at display in economically deprived rural areas. Or put another way, emotional narratives may turn out to be a stronger driver of voter sentiment than macro economics, and while not all Trump voters believe that the 2016 election was stolen in a literal sense, the more symbolic theft feels very real: something that was theirs by right was snatched away by the very same people who deny them their dignity, and in this framework, the appeal of Trump is that he holds out the promise of pride restored, or at least an emotionally satisfying retribution.

The great strength of Hochschild’s work is her willingness to just listen, and by listening to the fears, hopes and dreams of Trump’s rural voters, she renders them human rather than caricature, no mean feat in today’s hyper polarized atmosphere.”

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